Experts are always advocating the health benefits of biking. And while the barrier to entry is low-pretty much all you need to know to start cycling is how to ride a bike itself-people often ask me if I have any tips for beginner bikers.

    Below, a few things I've learned along the way that help make for a safer and more joyful ride:

    Follow the rules of the road. Brake at yellow lights, stop for pedestrians and maintain a solid distance from cars.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Therefore, never fly through stop signs, approach too close to the front vehicles or shout at cars.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}A British doctor recently made headlines when he claimed that wearing a bike helmet is actually more dangerous than traveling without one, but most research suggests otherwise. A full 98 percent of bike commuters （上班族）own a helmet, so you'll be in good company, anyway.

    Make a playlist. Laws against riding with headphones vary from state to state, and it's never proper to listen to music in more than one ear. But cruising around to a soundtrack can be an amazing feeling, so consider buying a wireless speaker you can fix on your frame.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Know your rights. If you do end up getting into a collision, stay on the scene until the police come.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Cyclists are too often taken advantage of in bad situations, especially if their injuries don't seem to be apparent.

    Find some friends. As great as it can be to bike alone, zipping down the street in a big group is an equally satisfying experience.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Various bicycle trips are often organized, which provides opportunities to develop friendship among bikers.

A.Be sure to get a helmet.

B.It's necessary you give them an accurate report of the incident.

C.Most cities have enough resources for the cycling community.

D.Most of us will feel it obviously safer to ride on a bike than in a car.

E.Then put together a list of your favorite tunes and get ready to enjoy them.

F.Pushing to the limit not only gives bikers a bad reputation, but also a great danger.

G.It' s comforting to know that whatever I need is nothing more than a bike ride away.

Things to Remember When You're Having a Bad Day

    Even the hardest days contain lessons that will help you be a better person. Feeling down? Consider these things to remember when you're having a bad day.

    No one promised life would be perfect.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Don't base your happiness on meeting every expectation you set for yourself. It is good to be ambitious, but you'll never be perfect. If you expect otherwise, your life will be filled with disappointments.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit. Don't kid yourself into thinking success will come quickly. It isn't easy to be patient, but anything worth doing requires time{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Without hard times, you wouldn't appreciate the good ones.

    Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to give up, that is strength{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. It is hard to find much to smile about when you fail, but how else would you improve yourself? If you look at failures as a part of your growing process, you'll stay positive and follow your goals for as long as it takes.

    It's OK to cry sometimes.

    Do not apologize for crying. Without this feeling, we are only robots. Don't be afraid of crying{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Instead, it is an acceptable way to let go of your depressed feelings. If you let those feelings build up without release, you'll have a much harder time dealing with them later.

A.Don't get sad if you lose.

B.It isn't a sign of weakness.

C.Success doesn't happen overnight.

D.It's not OK to worry now and then.

E.Don't compare your life with others'.

F.Remember: Rome was not built in a day.

G.If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.

    A good book can be satisfying. If reading is a habit you'd like to get into, there are some ways to develop it.

    Realize that reading is enjoyable if you have a good book. If you have a difficult book and you are forcing yourself through it, it will seem like a task.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Set time. You should have some time during every day when you'll read for at least 5 to 10 minutes. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}For example, make it a habit to read during breakfast and lunch and even dinner if you eat alone.

    Always carry a book. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.When I leave the house, I always make sure to have my car keys and one book at hand. The book stays with me in the car, and I take it into the office and to appointments and pretty much everywhere I go.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Find a place in your home where you can sit in a comfortable chair. Don't lie down unless you're going to sleep. There should be television or computer near the chair, and no music or no noisy family members/roommates. If you don't have a place like this, create one.

    Reduce television/the Internet. If you really want to read more, try cutting back on time on TV or the Internet.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Still, every minute you reduce of the Internet/TV, you could use for reading. This could create hours of book reading time.

A. Wherever you go, take a book with you.

B. Go to bookstores.

C. Have some good tea or coffee while you read.

D. Find a quiet place.

E. This may be difficult for some people.

F. If this happens, give up the book and find another one that you'll really love.

G. It means you will read no matter how busy you are.

    When we think of holidays, we think of traveling, beaches, fun, and adventure. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Smartphones have taken the world by storm, influencing the manner we interact with each other. Does this sound like you? If so, it sounds like you need a digital detox (数码产品戒毒期).

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Whether you are a businessman or a student, everyone needs some time away from technology.

    Having a tech-free holiday is becoming increasingly popular especially among families. The reason is obvious. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} While it may seem that sending a quick text message or uploading a photo to WeChat doesn't take so much time, these things eventually add up without us even knowing it.

    Whether to give yourself a digital detox is a difficult decision to make. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} To help you along, it is probably a good idea to choose a remote area, somewhere close to nature, where you can truly immerse (沉浸其中) yourself.

    Taking a tech-free holiday would be a good time to pick up something new, or return to hobbies which you never had time for. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you're going with friends or family,  perhaps bring along some board games to spend time rekindling (重新点燃) tired relationships.

In today's fast paced world, it's important to find time to stop and smell the roses — without taking a selfie at the same time, that is.

A. You could sketch (描述) the view of the coast, or take photos with your old film camera.

B. One of the best things about a digital detox is the fact that anyone can do it.

C. But the reality is, we spend most of our holidays on our personal digital products.

D. Nothing in this world can compare a holiday like this.

E. However, it may be just the thing you need to cleanse (清洗) your mind, body, and soul.

F. It enables them to spend quality time with together without being distracted by social media.

G People tend to keep connected with smartphones and never feel bored with them.

    The Internet has opened up a whole new online world for us to meet, chat and go where we've never been before.

    But just as in face-to-face communication, there are some rules of behavior that should be followed when on line. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Imagine how you'd feel if you were in the other person's shoes. For anything you're about to send: ask yourself, "Would I say this to the person's face?" If the answer is no, rewrite and reread.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    If someone in the chat room is rude to you, your instinct (本能) is to fire back in the same manner. But try not to do so. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}If it was caused by a disagreement with another member, try to fix the situation by politely discussing it. Remember to respect the beliefs and opinions of others in the chat room.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Offer advice when asked by newcomers, as they may not be sure what to do or how to communicate. When someone makes a mistake, whether it's a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer, be kind about it. If it's a small mistake, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before saying anything. Having good manners yourself doesn't give you a license to correct everyone else. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}At the same time, if you find you are wrong, be sure to correct yourself and apologize to those that you have offended(冒犯).

    It is not polite to ask others personal questions such as their age, sex and marital status(婚姻地位). Unless you know the person very well, and you are both comfortable with sharing personal information, don't ask such questions.

A. It's natural that there are some people who speak rudely or make mistakes online.

B. Repeat the process(过程) till you feel sure that you'd feel comfortable saying the words to the person's face.

C. Everyone was new to the network once.

D. The basic rule is simple: treat others in the same way you would want to be treated.

E. When you send short messages to a person online, you must say something beautiful to hear.

F. You should either ignore the person, or use your chat software to block their messages.

G. If you do decide to tell someone about a mistake, point it out politely.

Voluntourism — New Trend in Travel

Volunteering to help people in need combined with travelling to faraway places is a new trend in the travel industry. It is called voluntourism. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} On the other side, they volunteer to help others who are not as well off as they are.

    Recent statistics show that in the past few years voluntourism has been one of the fastest-growing areas of tourism. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They work in orphanages (孤儿院), help build schools, assist in hospitals and do farm work in developing countries. Some of them establish lasting bonds with people far away.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Students see it as a gap year after school; others simply want to take some time off from a job and do something else. Then there are these who are bored and merely seek adventures. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They think it is a cheap way of travelling and don't really want to get involved in hard work.

    Not everyone sees voluntourism in a positive way. Critics (评论家) say that if people really want to help those in need there are many opportunities in their own community to do this. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Travel experts also point out that in some cases voluntourists are made use of by organizations that set up the trips.

A. voluntourism has been expanded into many countries.

B. There are many reasons why people engage in voluntourism.

C. However, many voluntourists do not see volunteering as what it is.

D. Besides, volunteers are often not skilled enough in the tasks that they do.

E. More than 1.6 million people around the world are volunteers in other countries.

F. Standard development programs are often sponsored by international organizations.

G. People travel to other places, learn languages and other cultures and gain new experiences.